A Stich in Time
by Captain Harkness 4 eva
Summary: Inspired by a recent Fanfic that I read: Just Blips in Time. This is a series of one-shots, although some chapters are related. So there is a general mix of ideas but hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**This is set some time after COE and so team Torchwood is just Jack and Gwen. Another bomb finds its way into Jack's stomach but this time he does not come back. Gwen falls apart and Torchwood is taken over. **

**Chapter One- Thoughts, Coffee and Coats**

Well where have we found ourselves? 2054. Ebony, Ivory, Harmony and Enigma, and who are they? They are Torchwood! I can still feel the heat and the see the flames from the explosion. The light blinds my eyes and the sound deafens my ears still. I was at the centre of the disaster and naturally I died, except it was different this time. I felt the pain in the middle of my stomach and it bursting out of my body as normal, but then I didn't come back; there was no longer the light at the end of the tunnel that I am always running to, and no sensation of my heart suddenly pumping and the air filling up my lungs again. I've just stayed as I am.

And now I have a pair of eyes in the middle of the Universe and I can see everything, even throughout time. I imagine this is what the inside of the Doctor's head must be like. But I can see them, that is the team I am talking about. I have watched them grow up and now look what they have stumbled across; Torchwood, my Torchwood and they are building it up again and not just literally but metaphorically. It's been years, many years since I have been watching, observing life going on, and guessing my situation I'll be here forever.

I remember it all so clearly as if it was only yesterday, the explosion that actually killed me, just like that. I still do not know to this day how it happened, I thought I was immortal? We had only just recently built the new Hub after the last bomb. Gwen was busy as usual when I came in, typing away on the computer, taking phone calls and sipping from her hot coffee when she could. The air had been sweet and sticky with the coffee aroma. Saliva was building up in my mouth and so I strolled over to the coffee machine and began to work some old coffee magic. I stroked a picture of Ianto in a flowery picture frame, it was the only one we had, as the steam rolled across the room. With a steaming mug of coffee I walked over to acknowledge Gwen. She smiled as I placed a hand on her shoulder, she stopped typing and grabbed my hand at her shoulder and with a twirl of her chair she was facing me smiling gleefully.

It was then, when we were entwined in a happy moment that the ear-splitting alarm went off. Gwen jumped out of her seat in shock making me throw my coffee everywhere. I only stood there dripping in coffee as the alarm echoed in my ears, that was when my head started spinning and I had a sudden realisation that the bomb was inside me. Gwen was screaming, hanging from my arms like a wild monkey, cursing and swearing, tears running down her face and hysteria taking over her body as she wriggled in my arms. There was also the booming countdown to destruction from the Hub computer system and my own blood bubbling in my ears. But before I lost consciousness I threw Gwen off myself and bundled her on to the new pavement lift. Six... as I tried to keep her wriggling body on the platform, I stretched for the big red button to power the lift. Five... I was struggling to reach the button stretching my arms as far as I could. Four ... I reached the button and the platform shuddered as the mechanisms started. Three... Gwen towered above me still screaming my name. Two... all I could think was I survived that last time I blew up. One... The pain took over my body and my eyes fell shut.

And now I'm here in the sky. I watched her suffer. I saw her crawling among the rubble of the explosion, the flames around her; it looked like she was in Hell. She was searching for the remains of my body, tears still streaking her face, mascara running down her face. She fumbled across my greatcoat, tattered in pieces and burnt in parts. I was made to watch her sit there hugging it and sobbing into it as she curled into a ball and prayed I was coming back to her. I could have screamed as I watched her body shudder with every jolt of shock and grief. I could not even feel tears streaming down my face, but I wanted to cry a thousand rivers because I loved her like no one else.

As time passed I saw an ambulance arrive and I painfully looked on as Gwen was ushered into the back of the van against her will, still clutching my greatcoat which she would not let go of. But I could not do anything I could only watch her agony. Years passed and I watched Anwen growing up and Gwen and Rhys growing old. I noticed Gwen had changed with a part of her soul missing, Torchwood was gone and I was gone, half her life had been taken away. I remember seeing her sitting in the kitchen in a daydream staring blankly at Anwen as she spoon-fed her mouthfuls of food and the agony of her rolling in bed wide awake every night. I feel it was a punishment for my sins. Someone who really hated me and wanted me dead has finally got their revenge. For many years I have watched her suffer, cradle my coat and cry into Rhys' arms helplessly. Although it has made me realise the effect I have on people, it has led poor little Anwen to grow up with a withdrawn mother and I just cannot bear it any longer. I have some to realise, it is my entire fault.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter actually follows on from the previous one but can be looked at as a separate story. It is left to the readers own interpretation at the end.**

**Chapter two- Steps**

Ebony was a tall, thin girl with long lanky legs. She had dark brown hair which is where she got her name from. Her skin was well tanned and her cat like green eyes shone out from deep hollows. It was not only her shinning eyes that made her appear cat like but also her nimble movements and sharp flinches at any sound. She usually wore her hair up in a ponytail with a bright green hair tie, having her hair up accentuated her long, thin face.

She had been hanging around the bay for a while dawdling, pacing back to the rail and leaning out looking across the bay. The wind blew in her hair and the sun was blotted out as grey fluffy clouds rolled across the sky. She shivered slightly as the wind gave a gusty blow and she wrapped her arms around herself clinging to her black leather jacket which was not warm enough against the gusty blow. She wore a bright neon green t-shirt underneath and black skinny jeans with a studded black belt and worn down black leather ankle boots.

Anwen watched Ebony's movement's through the CCTV screens. The computer screen lit up her pale face and highlighted her hollow cheeks and sunken eyes; she was not aged but very thin although not frail for she had strength within. Her shoulders were bony but wide and they heaved up and down as she sighed. Anwen punched a button on the computer and it shut down. Now the Hub was pitch black and Anwen clambered amongst the rubble and trickling water and out the cog wheel door swiftly.

The wind began to pick up and Ebony gripped her coat tighter but she did not want to leave the falling light and breathed the sea air in deeply. Suddenly all fell silent around her and the sounds of ambulances and police cars blotted out and chattering people disappeared and instead Ebony honed in on to a pair of footsteps. The footsteps were coming closer to her, directly behind her but they were casual and a light step however they were determined. Ebony tensed as she anticipated a hand on her shoulder but none came, instead a girl came to the rail beside her. The girl was thin and pale but as she tossed back a copper strand a smile spread across her face.

Moments passed in silence, not passing a single glance and awkwardness built up between them. Finally Anwen broke the ice "Hi, I'm Anwen!" she said with a Welsh accent and offering her hand to shake. Ebony shook her hand cautiously with a confused look, she had never met this girl and why was she talking to her she should get away quickly. She whispered a frail "I'm Ebony."After a short pause Anwen began "I've seen your work, very impressive." This left Ebony even more speechless. How could she know about Ebony's job as a Runner, which was supposed to be the job with the highest security level?

Ebony mulled over where she could have slipped up. What part of her missions had been unsecure? Runners were a race of high class spies of alien origin. They can run so fast that no one can actually see them. They can travel across the world in seconds bringing other agents special messages. Not only this, but they have special super powered computer brains. They can work out the hardest of codes faster than the speed light travels and have the ability to work out the measurements of objects to the nearest decimal place just by looking at them. What part of her complex brain could have miscalculated something?

This strange girl continued to smile at Ebony, almost starring as if she was reading her mind. Meanwhile Ebony's mind ticked frantically and then Anwen interrupted her thoughts "I could give you a job where your skills could be very useful." So Anwen was still keeping Torchwood going or at least trying to start it again and she had kept to the rules by protecting aliens and not torturing them but all that was unknown to Ebony and she questioned "Who are you?" A panicked look crossed Anwen's face as she bit her lip lightly, Torchwood was meant to be secret. "See that water tower there?" she said pointing to the large sculpture "Well under there is the base of a secret organisation, it was called Torchwood, but it's kind of collapsed, so we, well I'm recruiting new team members! Interested?" This speech sounded very much like one Jack made when he introduced Gwen, Anwen's mother, to Torchwood and offered her a job there. Ebony was dumbfounded and struggled to utter the words on the tip of her tongue, was this really _the_ Torchwood? But being an experienced Runner the words formulated in her mouth "Show me, I don't believe you." She finally said confidently.

Ebony peered around the Hub dimly, she tried to interpret what was hidden in the darkness but all she could see were dark lumps and sharp corners, silhouettes in the darkness. But as Ebony converted to night vision, she could see computer screens with masses of tangled wire leading from them and they traipsed along the floor like broken spider webs. Could this really be the great Torchwood her race had heralded over centuries was this really the previous base of the solider down in history as Captain Jack Harkness.


End file.
